First Christmas that Counts
by 123montana321
Summary: Lindsay and Danny have made plans to decorate for their first Christmas they are spending together.


**This is about Danny and Lindsay's first Christmas together as season 4 was screwed up. So this takes place in season 5.**

Lindsay bent over a shopping bag to take out an ornament box, but she was stopped. The pain sliced through her back. She put a hand to her back and pushed up. She stretched and sighed. Stupid nerves.

And then she blinked because she thought she was going to cry. She glanced at the clock. Danny was running late. They had made plans and he was running late. She knew it was not his fault. He worked the same crazy shifts she was used to. But Mac knew that he had a reason to be home now.

She ran a hand over her small bump and looked acround the living room at the bags of ornaments and decorations. She'd been shopping off and on for weeks. She wanted this Christmas to be perfect. This Christmas would be their first Christmas. She ran a hand over her belly. Well, her first Christmas that they celebrated together. And they celebrated as the three of them.

Last year would have been their first Christmas. She had not gone home to Montana. She'd hoped for the best. Had plans dancing in her head, like a child with hopes and dreams of Christmas goodies. But Danny had forgotten all about her. He'd left her alone on Christmas and had gone to his parents alone. Two days later, when he called, he had not even mentioned Christmas. Distraught with the death of a boy. Being Danny, the Danny that she loved, she understood.

She didn't even notice the tears that ran down her face. He had gotten so wrapped up in all of that, but he could not even make it home to decorate for their family and with their own little one on the way.

It was not a fair thought. She knew that but that did not stop the tears or the emotion from sweeping over. She knew he loved her and that he would be home soon. He had probaby texted her and told her so. She glanced around and looked for her phone. Distracted, she wiped at her tears. She did not even know she was crying.

Her phone was in her coat by the door. She walked over to get it. On the way to the door, she heard the key in the lock and in the deadbolt. She stopped and watched as the doot opened. Danny came in. He carried several bags. When he saw her he stopped. She saw the surprise and the humorous resignation in his eyes. She saw the hesitation.

She frowned.

"Hey." He said, and set the bags down. They spilled over onto the floot. He closed the door and locked it back. "Everything all right."

"I was just starting to decorate." She folded her hands in front of her.

"Without me."

She shrugged.

He walked over and reached up. He wiped at the tears. "You sure you're all right."

She shrugged. Because all of the sudden the sadness had swept away and she was fine. But he seemed be be used to it, or at least resigned. She still did not cry often, but it was more than either of them were used to seeing from her.

"I was walking home and past that mom and pop hard ware store on the corner of." he looked past her and saw all the bags. "You've been shopping too."

She looked back. "Here and there. Neither of us have really decorated for Christmas before."

She took in the bags of decorations. Maybe it was a lot. Maybe she had gone over board. There were bags she had stored in her bedroom closet, bags she'd had under the pool table. There were bags she'd stored under their bed and bags she'd pulled from the front room closet. And she had put some bags in their storage room down stairs.

But last year she had bought a few decorations to share with him. The day before Christmas she had packed them up and taken them and had given them to a family in her apartment. So really, these were her first decorations for them and for New York. The year before that she had not celebrated either and the year before that she had gone home.

"Maybe I got a little carried away." She realized for the first time.

Danny only laughed. He walked over and picked up his bags. "If I had known, I might have made it home sooner. But I don't think I could have bypassed this."

He dug through the other decorations he had picked up to add to what he had assumed were her modest collection, because really he had not known Lindsay to really horde much of anything. This was more than a little out of character.

But., he figured, it more than made up for last year. And he had wanted to make it up for last year.

He took out the box and handed it to her. She took it with both hands. It was heavier that she thought. She set it on the table and openned it. Inside was a star with 16 points to go on top of the Christmas tree. It was beautiful.

"It looks hand blown."

"It is. Custom ordered then it wasn't picked up last year. It was sitting in the window of the shop."

"It's beautiful."

Danny reached out and wiped away her tears. She had not realized she was crying again. She looked at him and smiled. When he leaned in close she kissed him. The kiss was automatic and sweet. The kiss promised so many things and the kiss healed the tiny tare she'd let slice into her heart earlier.

When she leaned back she smiled at him.

"I guess I need to take some of this back."

He shook his head at her. "Don't. It's almost like we have been celebrating Christmas together all of our lives now. And that is what it feels like. It feels like forever."

So that night they decorated for their first Christmas together, the first Christmas that counted. They decorated for themselves and their growing family.


End file.
